News Articles

Unmasking Sexual Con Games: Helping Teens Avoid Emotional Grooming and Dating Violence
by Kathleen M. McGee, Laura J. Buddenberg, Boys Town Press

“If you love me, prove it.”

“I’m going to make you feel good.”

“You want it, you know you do.”

“Just this once.”

“What’s the big deal? Everybody does it.”

Language can be a powerful persuader. The term “con game” (confidence game) is defined as a swindle in which a person is defrauded after his or her confidence has been won.

When someone is tricked into a sexual encounter by what another person says, it is called a “sexual […]

These short positive sayings can work wonders.

BY CAROLINE PICARD
Courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Put life in perspective with some short yet sage pieces of advice. These wise and beautiful words from your favorite positive thinkers will get you in the right mindset to tackle whatever obstacles lie ahead. Inspirational quotes from successful people like Oprah, Helen Keller, and Maya Angelou can help you reframe negative thoughts during tough times and change your attitude so you feel refreshed and motivated. Whether you’re hoping to achieve success […]

It’s time for Snapchat to take sexting, cyberbullying, and sexual exploitation on its app seriously.

Within the last decade, cyberbullying has emerged as a pernicious new form of bullying that breaks the spirits of our nation’s children. It has been deemed a public health issue[1] and is a matter of serious concern to our organization.

We are especially concerned by evidence which shows that some cyberbullying activity involves sexual harassment and coercion. It is our view that much of the activity referred to under the guise of “sexting” actually […]

The sex trade is fundamentally predatory.

Systems of sexual exploitation (e.g. strip clubs, illicit massage parlors, legal brothels, online prostitution websites, etc.) operate using a business model that feeds off of people’s vulnerabilities and traumatic events such as childhood sexual abuse, child sex trafficking, child neglect, sexual abuse within the foster care system, homelessness, and economic insecurity. These adverse experiences are often compounded by additional marginalization and vulnerabilities created by young age, racial and gender discrimination, learning disabilities, and/or immigrant or indigenous minority status. Pimps (the functional equivalents of sex traffickers) and sex buyers exploit these vulnerabilities for their personal gain—pimps […]